I've been working on the Gethsemane Games social media and online presence over the course of the last few days and was reminded that we have a Wordpress. I set it up years ago and forgot about it sometime in 2015.
Having used it again over the last few days I am finding that it has a lot of functionality that is missing from blogger and so I have taken the decision to make that our primary Blogg.
That doesn't mean we will be abandoning Blogger right away but we concentrating an increasing amount on WP, we will be posting on both platforms for the time being though.
Not to mention the fac that despite the fact it hadn't had a post since 2015 up until the other day it was still coming up ahead of our blogger page on a google search!
Saturday, 22 December 2018
Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Sign Up To Our Mailing List
Some Background for Those Who are Interested
Recently I have had one or two emails in which the author of the email asks me why they don’t get messages from Gethsemane Games via DrivethruRPG or RPGNow anymore. Well, the answer is, recently OBS, the owners of both sites, disabled the option for creators to contact people who have placed something in their wishlist or shopping cart. It is now only possible to message customers who have completed a sale. They did this to try and comply with the EU’s GDPR. Now all they actually had to do was let people who are placing a product in a wishlist/basket without buying opt out of receiving messages but that’s by-the-by.
What this means for you as potential customers are that you can no longer benefit from a special offer on an item you have in your wishlist/basket unless you have purchased from us before via any one of the OBS sites. Obviously, this has disappointed some of you, and frankly, it disappoints us too. After all, we like to sell products to gamers. Its sort of what we do and the feature let us sell products to new customers when they had already shown an interest in buying them. Since the change, the number of people that receive an email we send through RPGNow/Drivethru etc. has dropped by about 25% and naturally, this has had an impact on our sale.
New Gethsemane Games Mailing List
However, we are British so its time for a stiff upper lip don’t you know! Can’t be seen to complain. So. instead we looked for a solution. I mean we didn’t have to look far, the answer was obvious really. – Set up our own (GDPR compliant) mailing list. so we did, and here it is:-
By signing up to this mailing list you will be among the first to learn about new products, discounts, freebies and special offers from Gethsemane Games.
Also, the Fangotes will eat you last. Probably.
(Frankie the Fangote says hi!)
Now don’t worry, if you have bought products from us on an OBS platform, you will still receive the emails we send customers there. However, our own mailing list has a lot more tools and since I do like to use tools, it means that members of our new ‘Voice of the Other-Verse’ mailing list will not only get news of new releases, discount codes and so on but you will also get occasional freebies, special offers available only to members and other goodies that the increased functionality of our own mailing list will now make possible.
Huzzah!
Friday, 14 December 2018
Christmas with Gethsemane Games. Ho Ho Ho
This year, here at Gethsemane Games, we have decided to get into the Christmas spirit for a change (We are usually more the Haloween spirit sort of folks, to be strictly honest!).
We were a bit dubious about the whole idea at first. All this jollity and whimsy, we weren't certain about that at all. We are more your grumpy little gothic Goblins with our ghost stories and heartwarming tales of post-apocalyptic dystopia, but, we have to admit, we are converts. It's all quite fun really. So we set about creating a few Christmas themed (sort of) adventures. Here is one of them for you! Play it as a one-off or, if you are so inclined, try integrating it into an ongoing campaign.
And Another Thing! (By M R McGowan)
When the air traffic control Elf Dewey Landum began picking up a strange airborne signal he started tracking it and trying to contact the suspect aircraft but to no avail. The 'Aircraft' fell to earth in the Arctic desolation. Assuming that there were people in need of his help, Santa rounded up several of his more adventurous Elves and they set out in the Reindeer sleigh to see if they could help.
What they found though wasn't a downed aircraft - at least not one of Earthly origin, anyway. The UFO had buried itself in the ice and was terribly twisted and damaged - much like the bodies of what were presumably aliens that they found inside.
That was far from the end of it, however. Without realising it, somehow the expedition seems to have brought some*THING* back to Santa's Hideout with them and it can mimic other life forms. Whatever it is, it isn't friendly and before long the sense of isolation and paranoia has the Elves, Reindeer and Krumpus all suspicious of one another. No one is quite sure who is actually an alien monster capable of growing stomach mouths or spidery legs and scuttling off at any moment. Oh, and Santa is acting a bit oddly.
(Apologies to John Carpenter)
This charming little Christmas adventure is ideal for use in a cold, isolated environment with a village full of Elves and a jolly supernatural present giver. Use your own setting or try our 'Santa's Hideout' map (GM's Map #71) which was the inspiration for the scenario idea.
Pick it up for just $1.50 if you use this discount link:-
https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=9defa1ec1c
We were a bit dubious about the whole idea at first. All this jollity and whimsy, we weren't certain about that at all. We are more your grumpy little gothic Goblins with our ghost stories and heartwarming tales of post-apocalyptic dystopia, but, we have to admit, we are converts. It's all quite fun really. So we set about creating a few Christmas themed (sort of) adventures. Here is one of them for you! Play it as a one-off or, if you are so inclined, try integrating it into an ongoing campaign.
And Another Thing! (By M R McGowan)
When the air traffic control Elf Dewey Landum began picking up a strange airborne signal he started tracking it and trying to contact the suspect aircraft but to no avail. The 'Aircraft' fell to earth in the Arctic desolation. Assuming that there were people in need of his help, Santa rounded up several of his more adventurous Elves and they set out in the Reindeer sleigh to see if they could help.
What they found though wasn't a downed aircraft - at least not one of Earthly origin, anyway. The UFO had buried itself in the ice and was terribly twisted and damaged - much like the bodies of what were presumably aliens that they found inside.
That was far from the end of it, however. Without realising it, somehow the expedition seems to have brought some*THING* back to Santa's Hideout with them and it can mimic other life forms. Whatever it is, it isn't friendly and before long the sense of isolation and paranoia has the Elves, Reindeer and Krumpus all suspicious of one another. No one is quite sure who is actually an alien monster capable of growing stomach mouths or spidery legs and scuttling off at any moment. Oh, and Santa is acting a bit oddly.
This charming little Christmas adventure is ideal for use in a cold, isolated environment with a village full of Elves and a jolly supernatural present giver. Use your own setting or try our 'Santa's Hideout' map (GM's Map #71) which was the inspiration for the scenario idea.
Pick it up for just $1.50 if you use this discount link:-
https://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=9defa1ec1c
Friday, 30 November 2018
Assault on Kar-Duin
The Following Scenario was designed for our FoE Fantasy wargame rules but can be used with any set of fantasy miniature rules you like. The Background assumes that the battle is set during one of the 'Mage Wars' of Elizium, but again there is no reason why you can't adjust that if you wish, it will have no effect on the game itself.
Background
As the Forces of the demon Magog prepare to lay siege to the mighty fortress of Durn-Garan their encampments and supply lines are repeatedly harried by the allied forces who are slipping out of sally ports hidden all across the mountains.
Frustrated Magog has ordered a strike against the hill fort at Kar-Duin which protects one of the Durn-Garan sally ports. Realising that their best chance is to assault the position under cover of darkness the forces of Magog send a Goblin force to try and scale the walls at night and open the gates for a much larger follow-up force to enter the following day.
The Goblins, under Unterwalpurg Grom, are to assault the fortress, scale the walls, open the gates and hold the position against all comers until reinforced the following day.
Early reports suggest that the hill fort of Kar-Duin is only lightly defended by a small force of Dwarves, and if the Goblins can reach the walls before being detected they should be able to skip over and capture the gatehouse with minimal losses.
The risk is that the defenders may be reinforced by alliance troops through the sally port which leads into Durn-Garan.
Suggested Forces
Dwarves
1 Unit of Dwarf Axemen (Regulars) with medium armour and shield
2 Unit's of Dwarf Crossbows (Regulars) Light or medium armour
3 Ballistae with Dwarf Crew Clothing or light armour
Garrison Commander Ather Black beard (Potential Hero) in Medium or heavy armour with shield and axe
Every round after the first roll a d10. On a 10 an additional unit of Dwarf infantry or crossbows arrives via the sally port.
Goblins
3 Units of Goblin Archers/Skirmishers Skyclad or clothing, Shortbows and daggers, ropes and grappling hooks
3 Units of Goblin light infantry with shields, spears and clothing, siege ladders (1 per 5 models)
2 units of Goblin Light Infantry Skyclad or clothing only with Swords and shields Ropes and Grappling hooks
1 Goblin Battle Witch (Lesser Hero) with Minor Arcanum 6
1 Goblin UnterWalperg (Lesser Hero) with sword, shield and medium armour.
Terrain
A - Sallyport
B - Gatehouse
C - Bastion
D - Goblin Table Edge
At the rear of the table is the cliff face containing the sally port to Durn-Garan (A). This is protected by a sturdy stone tower (C) on a promontory which has a good field of fire over both the sally port and the gatehouse (B).
The sally port is protected by a sturdy gatehouse (B) which has been constructed in a natural defile between two cliffs. A courtyard is formed between the gatehouse and its cliffs on one side, and the cliffs containing the sally port behind.
The Gatehouse
The Gate (Medium Construction): DV 6 HITS: 3
Gatehouse (Medium Construction) DV 6 HITS: 3
The gatehouse walls are topped by crenelations which provide defenders with 'Heavy Cover'
The Gatehouse walls are TN 15 to climb
Bastion
Medium Construction DV 6 HITS 3 TN 15 to climb
Cliffs
The Cliffs are easier to climb than the gatehouse wall, but are still treacherous and have a TN 10
Promontory
The rocky promontory upon which the tower/bastion stands is TN 10 to climb
The rest of the table is littered with rocky outcroppings, hills and stones. A clear field of fire/killing zone exists in-front of the walls which the dwarves cleared long ago. This reaches 50 GSU from the wall and is intended to prevent exactly the sort of stealth attack that the Goblins are hoping to mount.
Deployment
The Dwarves ay deploy anywhere between the gatehouse and the sally port, on the top of the cliffs, in the gatehouse or on the bastion.
The Goblins deploy on the table up to one walking move from table edge D.
Objectives
Goblins
Your forces must take and hold the gatehouse and bastion, holding it against all comers until you are reinforced the following day. To this end, you have been sent with a force primarily consisting of light, fast-moving troops that can approach relatively quietly, and a small holding force in your rear that should be brought up once the alarm is raised.
Dwarves
You must either repulse the Goblin attack or, failing that, re-capture the bastion and gatehouse when reinforced via the sally port.
Battlefield Conditions
Unterwalperg (under war-chief) Grom is fully aware that his forces see better in the dark than do the alliance forces. As a consequence, he has chosen to attack under the cover of darkness in the hopes of maximising the chances of getting to the wall before the defenders spot the sneak attack.
The Dwarves, therefore, suffer the effects of 'Poor Visibility' while the Goblins do not.
This scenario was originally written for our FoE Fantasy Battle rules, releases on November 30th 2018. You can purchase FoE as a PDF for $10 HERE
Background
As the Forces of the demon Magog prepare to lay siege to the mighty fortress of Durn-Garan their encampments and supply lines are repeatedly harried by the allied forces who are slipping out of sally ports hidden all across the mountains.
Frustrated Magog has ordered a strike against the hill fort at Kar-Duin which protects one of the Durn-Garan sally ports. Realising that their best chance is to assault the position under cover of darkness the forces of Magog send a Goblin force to try and scale the walls at night and open the gates for a much larger follow-up force to enter the following day.
The Goblins, under Unterwalpurg Grom, are to assault the fortress, scale the walls, open the gates and hold the position against all comers until reinforced the following day.
Early reports suggest that the hill fort of Kar-Duin is only lightly defended by a small force of Dwarves, and if the Goblins can reach the walls before being detected they should be able to skip over and capture the gatehouse with minimal losses.
The risk is that the defenders may be reinforced by alliance troops through the sally port which leads into Durn-Garan.
Suggested Forces
Dwarves
1 Unit of Dwarf Axemen (Regulars) with medium armour and shield
2 Unit's of Dwarf Crossbows (Regulars) Light or medium armour
3 Ballistae with Dwarf Crew Clothing or light armour
Garrison Commander Ather Black beard (Potential Hero) in Medium or heavy armour with shield and axe
Every round after the first roll a d10. On a 10 an additional unit of Dwarf infantry or crossbows arrives via the sally port.
Goblins
3 Units of Goblin Archers/Skirmishers Skyclad or clothing, Shortbows and daggers, ropes and grappling hooks
3 Units of Goblin light infantry with shields, spears and clothing, siege ladders (1 per 5 models)
2 units of Goblin Light Infantry Skyclad or clothing only with Swords and shields Ropes and Grappling hooks
1 Goblin Battle Witch (Lesser Hero) with Minor Arcanum 6
1 Goblin UnterWalperg (Lesser Hero) with sword, shield and medium armour.
Terrain
A - Sallyport
B - Gatehouse
C - Bastion
D - Goblin Table Edge
At the rear of the table is the cliff face containing the sally port to Durn-Garan (A). This is protected by a sturdy stone tower (C) on a promontory which has a good field of fire over both the sally port and the gatehouse (B).
The sally port is protected by a sturdy gatehouse (B) which has been constructed in a natural defile between two cliffs. A courtyard is formed between the gatehouse and its cliffs on one side, and the cliffs containing the sally port behind.
The Gatehouse
The Gate (Medium Construction): DV 6 HITS: 3
Gatehouse (Medium Construction) DV 6 HITS: 3
The gatehouse walls are topped by crenelations which provide defenders with 'Heavy Cover'
The Gatehouse walls are TN 15 to climb
Bastion
Medium Construction DV 6 HITS 3 TN 15 to climb
Cliffs
The Cliffs are easier to climb than the gatehouse wall, but are still treacherous and have a TN 10
Promontory
The rocky promontory upon which the tower/bastion stands is TN 10 to climb
The rest of the table is littered with rocky outcroppings, hills and stones. A clear field of fire/killing zone exists in-front of the walls which the dwarves cleared long ago. This reaches 50 GSU from the wall and is intended to prevent exactly the sort of stealth attack that the Goblins are hoping to mount.
Deployment
The Dwarves ay deploy anywhere between the gatehouse and the sally port, on the top of the cliffs, in the gatehouse or on the bastion.
The Goblins deploy on the table up to one walking move from table edge D.
Objectives
Goblins
Your forces must take and hold the gatehouse and bastion, holding it against all comers until you are reinforced the following day. To this end, you have been sent with a force primarily consisting of light, fast-moving troops that can approach relatively quietly, and a small holding force in your rear that should be brought up once the alarm is raised.
Dwarves
You must either repulse the Goblin attack or, failing that, re-capture the bastion and gatehouse when reinforced via the sally port.
Battlefield Conditions
Unterwalperg (under war-chief) Grom is fully aware that his forces see better in the dark than do the alliance forces. As a consequence, he has chosen to attack under the cover of darkness in the hopes of maximising the chances of getting to the wall before the defenders spot the sneak attack.
The Dwarves, therefore, suffer the effects of 'Poor Visibility' while the Goblins do not.
This scenario was originally written for our FoE Fantasy Battle rules, releases on November 30th 2018. You can purchase FoE as a PDF for $10 HERE
Thursday, 8 November 2018
News Regarding The Entropy Effect
The long-anticipated modern era, reality-bending SF/Horror RPG 'Entropy Effect' was originally scheduled for 2017 but was held put on Hiatus due to unforeseen health issues experienced by one of the authors and the family bereavement we suffered.
In late 2018 we took the decision to extensively re-write the combat system, a change that would speed combat up and minimise the need for players to do mental arithmetic. Gone is the 'The amount you hit by effects your Stopping Power'. The result is, we believe, a much better, more streamlined combat system Of course, as is the way with game design, this change had knock on effects and M R McGowan and I have had to rewrite most of the game. Again the result is a vast improvement on what we already thought was a good game. Now, it is even better!
While we were re-writing the game any way we decided to expand it a little too. Adding rules for interrogation, new psychic abilities and new creatures to torment your players with. What is more, we are adding one of the playtest scenario's to the rules system, along with a sample character, Frank Stafford, who you can see being designed in the examples of character creation across the section.
The playtests for this launch on Tuesday and, all being well, we hope to finally bring this fantastic, dark, evocative game to you in 2019.
In addition to the rules, we will be releasing a quickstart version of the game with sample scenrio. This will include four pre-generated characters and just enough of the core mechnics o let you play the scenario 'Sharp Teeth PRetty Teeth'. It will be released before the core rules which in turn will include the adventure 'Talbot's Syndrome' - the follow up to Sharp Teeth Pretty Teeth.
Further adventures for 'The Entropy Effect' will be released through the year.
You can read more about 'The Entropy Effect' here soon.
Have Ideas? We Would Love To Hear Them!
Customers of our GM's maps range will have noticed that recent maps have included some fan content in the 'Adventure Ideas' section. We would like to thank all the fans who have submitted ideas for various maps and the adventures they could use them for.
Several people have asked how they could get their ideas published in one of our products so I thought I'd post a quick article about it here.
You can send your ideas to us at gethsemanegames@gmail.com
If there is a map you would like to see that isn't in our range yet, drop us a line and we will consider adding it to our 'To Do' list.
If you have adventure ideas for a map of one of our Grabban drop villages we may consider publishing it here in a blog article.
If you would like to see one of your adventure ideas in the 'Adventure Hooks' section of an upcoming map, let us know, if we like it we might use it and give you a writing credit.
Here is a list of some of the GM's maps we are planning, we would love to hear your adventure hooks for them. Any genre, and as off the wallas you like. Send them in and we will consider them. If we don't use your idea it isn't that we didn't like it, we sometimes get more ideas than we can use in a single product. We hope to publish some of these ideas as blog posts in the future. So don't be disheartened if we don't use your idea right away, it may see the light of day on 'Whispers from the Other-Verse'.
Upcoming Maps
Sea Fort
Frontier Fought
Casino
Care Home
Wizards Tower 2
City Morgue
Pyramid
Here is an advanced look at part of the Sea fort that we are working on just now.
Monday, 10 September 2018
New Map
This map was the first part of the Elizium setting I ever mapped, back when I was at 6th form college. My then girlfriend would be the first person to ever play in Elzium with her Elf mage who would later lend her name to the game - Pandora Spelldancer. That version was done by hand.
When I got my first copy of Campaign Cartographer by Profantasy Software I remade the map with that. At the time it seemed great but technology - and expectations - have come a long way since then. The version in the current edition of Spelldancer was remade using Campaign Cartographer 2 and again, how great it looked when I made it but once again the state of the art has moved on since then.
This version was made with CC3+ by Profantasy Software. How far things have come since the pencil drawn then inked version on an artists pad!
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